The "March for Palestine" rally began at the Viru Gates in Tallinn and proceeded through Freedom Square to the Riigikogu. Participants flew the Palestinian flag and held placards while they walked.

The group called on people to demonstrate peacefully in support of international law and to express support for the Palestinian people's right to live in freedom and dignity, without occupation.

Organizer Flora Keresztely said Estonia's foreign policy must be based on the principles of international law and consistently adhere to them. "A rules-based world order is of utmost importance for the small population of Estonia, which lies beside a major power," she said.

"If we, as a state, do not take a clear and principled position that international law applies to everyone, then we should not be surprised if other countries neither speak up for us nor take action to defend us in the future, should war ever come to our territory," Postimees quotes Keresztely as saying.

The organizers said they "unequivocally condemn antisemitism, Islamophobia, and all other forms of racism." They also asked participants to avoid using the chant "From the river to the sea" which has led to police intervention in the past.

The conflict between Israel and the Palestinian people is one of the longest-running and most violent disputes in the world, the BBC writes. Its origins go back more than a century.

"Every round of fighting has seen people killed on both sides, the vast majority of them Palestinians in Gaza," it said.

The most recent war started after October 7, 2023, when Hamas fighters launched an assault from Gaza, killing about 1,200 people in Israel and taking more than 250 hostages.

This triggered a massive Israeli military offensive in Gaza. More than 46,700 people have been killed, the majority of them women and children, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.

On Monday, Israel's security cabinet approved a plan to expand its military offensive against Hamas, which reportedly includes capturing Gaza and holding the territory, the BBC reported.

--

Follow ERR News on Facebook and Twitter and never miss an update!